Shlomtzion Hamalka Street may be Jerusalem's trendiest restaurant and bar strip, but nestled in the quieter streets branching off from it (Ben Sira and Ben Shetach) are a number of the city's finest gourmet European-style establishments. Among the impressive offerings of this small area is Cavalier, a classy French bistro with enough of an international flair to give it the cosmopolitan prestige Israelis seem to seek in their upscale dining experiences.

Cavalier's identity is somewhat fluid: the menu changes to reflect the season, with a focus on heartier foods during the winter, and the restaurant starts the day as a bistro with abundant coffee and reduced prices on the simpler of its menu items (from 12 to 15:30), and reopens after an afternoon siesta at 18:30 with a full dinner menu, featuring food and bar service lasting until 02:00.

Dinner options are chiefly French-inspired (cream of goose liver, lobsters in butter and lemon, veal fillet in red wine and shallots), but draw as well on the cuisine of countries near (antipasti, carpaccio) and far (sashimi in a sauce of olive oil, ginger, sesame and soy).